Tami Harrison could be the toughest woman to get a spare minute with these days.

That's understandable. She's been working non-stop as the owner/head coach of the highly-regarded World Class Gymnastics National Training Center in Newport News, making plans to host a national meet, trying to get her top teams ready for the biggest meets of the season, and taking care of her family.

With such pressing demands, Harrison probably hasn't even found time to celebrate a huge award she recently received — the 2012 Tim Rand Award — at the Chicago Style Meet in Illinois.

The meet is hailed as the largest women's gymnastics invitational in the world. Harrison was selected for the award by the coaches at the meet.

Rand, who died in 2007 at age 51 of cardiac arrest, was an icon in the sport who turned the American Twisters of Florida into a girls' powerhouse. He also trained nine USA National Team members, was a USAG National Team coach, and a USAG Regional Hall of Famer.

"He did a lot for gymnastics and made a big difference in the lives of a lot of kids," Harrison said Friday. "I was very honored and very surprised to get the award."

Since opening her first World Class facility in 2000, she has won numerous other awards, including the 2009 state and region Coach of the Year.

Hosting the USAG Level 10 Junior Olympic Nationals and accompanying National Invitational Tournament is also a huge honor for her club. The prestigious events will be held May 11-13 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton.

Harrison, a USA National Team member five times, said she'd thought about putting in a bid for the Level 10 Nationals for two or three years, but then unexpectedly was asked by USAG officials last spring at regionals to host the 2012 nationals.

She agreed.

"They knew we had a great parents' association and our club has an outstanding reputation," Harrison said.

In her mind, this also seemed like "a good year to do it" with perhaps the best Level 10 girls' team in the club's 12-year history.

"We've got the numbers and the talent," Harrison said when asked if her team could contend for the national title.

The Level 10's, led by all-around whiz Kiera Brown, have won five meet titles this season. That includes a victory over the highly-touted Parkettes of Allentown, Pa.

The season-ending marquee meets for the 10's begin Saturday and Sunday at the State Meet in Richmond, followed by the regional April 21-22 in Allentown, and then the nationals.

World Class' Level 8's and 9's also will be vying for state titles in Richmond this weekend. The 10's, the defending champs, will be shooting for their fourth state championship in seven years.

Shamrock races

Joan Coven of West Point set another state road-racing record in the 70-74 age group on Sunday, this time in the half marathon part of the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach.

Coven, already the owner of the state 5K record — 25 minutes, 17 seconds — ran the 13.1 mile race in 1:58:21. That was more than 16 minutes faster than her closest age-group challenger and her time easily beat the former record of 2:05:32 that Tami Graf set in 2006.

Besides Coven, the Colonial Road Runners made a good showing in the half-marathon. Rick Platt took first place (1:27:21) and Bill Hart second (1:28:11) in the men's 60-64 division, and Pete Gibson placed 39th overall (1:17:09) among 7,894 runners.

Other top age group performances by Peninsula runners in the half included: Kevin Callahan of Hampton, second, 50-54, 1:25:41; Joseph Polinski of Smithfield, second, 70-74, 2:10:50; Joseph Day of Yorktown, third, 60-64, 1:38:09; and Chips Halley of Grafton, third, women's 65-69, 2:51:48.

In Sunday's marathon, Alexandre Deur of Yorktown and Chris Basford of Newport News headed local runners. Deur was 27th overall among 3,303 runners in 2:55:00 and Basford 32nd overall and first in his 45-49 age group in 2:56:48.

For the women, Madeline Grxgiel of Williamsburg was the 32nd female finisher (3:26:25) and Jami Brayton of Williamsburg 35th in a personal best of 3:14:03.

In Saturday's 8K with 8,077 competitors, Andrew Budiansky of Williamsburg headed Peninsula finishers, placing 19th overall in 26:19 while Victor Flemming of Smithfield was 24th in 26:53 and John Piggott of Williamsburg 30th in 27:19. Piggott also won his 45-49 age group.